The short answer
Regular aerobic exercise, stopping smoking, losing excess weight and cutting out trans fats are the changes that raise HDL. Expect a small rise, typically a few mg/dL (under 0.1 mmol/L), and know that HDL isn't a treatment goal in itself: the 2026 ACC/AHA guideline sets targets for LDL and non-HDL cholesterol, and HDL-raising drugs such as niacin aren't recommended because they haven't been shown to prevent heart attacks or strokes. The same habits that nudge HDL up also lower LDL and triglycerides, and that's where most of the benefit comes from.
General information, not medical advice
If your doctor or dietitian has given you your own targets, follow those. This is especially important if you have familial hypercholesterolaemia, diabetes, heart or kidney disease, or you take cholesterol medication.
What counts as low HDL?
| Low (US) | Healthy (NHS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Men | Under 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L) | Above 1.0 mmol/L |
| Women | Under 50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L) | Above 1.2 mmol/L |
Low HDL is linked with higher heart risk, and it often comes with high triglycerides, a larger waist and insulin resistance. For the full picture of what each number means, see how to read your cholesterol test results.
What raises HDL, and by how much
1. Exercise: aerobic plus strength
A meta-analysis of 148 randomised trials, cited in the 2026 ACC/AHA dyslipidemia guideline, found that exercise training raised HDL by about 2.1 mg/dL (0.05 mmol/L). It also lowered LDL by about 7.2 mg/dL (0.19 mmol/L) and triglycerides by about 8 mg/dL (0.09 mmol/L). So exercise improves your whole lipid profile, not just HDL.
The guideline recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity), plus resistance exercise for your upper and lower body on 2 days a week. It notes that lipid changes may depend more on how long you exercise than how hard, and that any activity is better than none if you're starting from zero. A realistic week: five 30-minute brisk walks plus two short strength sessions. If you're new to it, start with our guide to getting your heart rate up without a gym.
2. Stop smoking
Smoking and second-hand smoke lower HDL, and the NHS lists stopping smoking as one of the main ways to improve your cholesterol. It's also the single biggest thing most smokers can do for their heart, whatever it does to their HDL.
3. Lose excess weight, especially around your waist
A meta-analysis of 70 studies found that HDL rose by about 0.35 mg/dL (0.009 mmol/L) for every kilogram lost, once weight had stabilised. While you're actively losing weight, HDL can dip slightly, so don't be put off if your first test during a diet looks worse. Fat around the middle matters most; we explain why in weight, waistlines and lipids.
4. Swap trans fats and refined carbs for unsaturated fats
Trans fats lower HDL as well as raising LDL. Diets heavy in added sugar and refined carbohydrates raise triglycerides, which tend to travel with low HDL. Choosing olive or rapeseed oil, nuts, seeds and oily fish over pastries, biscuits and sugary drinks helps both. For easy swaps, see our low-cholesterol snacks and heart-healthy desserts, and for the fats themselves, the best oils and fats for high cholesterol.
5. Don't count on alcohol
Alcohol isn't a way to fix HDL. It raises triglycerides, and the 2026 guideline recommends minimising alcohol for anyone with triglycerides of 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L) or more. The NHS advises no more than 14 units a week, spread over several days.
What doesn't work
- Niacin and other HDL-raising drugs. Niacin raises HDL, but the 2026 guideline doesn't recommend it for routine use because adding it to a statin hasn't been shown to reduce heart attacks or strokes.
- Supplements. The guideline recommends against using dietary supplements to lower LDL or triglycerides. There's no supplement with good evidence for raising HDL in a way that protects your heart.
- A single "HDL food". No one food reliably raises HDL. The pattern of your diet matters far more.
Can HDL be too high?
Higher is usually better, but only up to a point. In two large Danish studies of over 116,000 people, death rates were higher at both very low and extremely high HDL. Men with HDL of 3.0 mmol/L (about 116 mg/dL) or more had about twice the mortality of men in the lowest-risk range, and women with 3.5 mmol/L (about 135 mg/dL) or more had about 68% higher mortality. These levels are rare and the studies were observational, but they're a good reminder that a very high HDL doesn't cancel out a high LDL.
What to focus on instead
Treat HDL as a sign that your habits are working, not as the target. The numbers that guide treatment are LDL and non-HDL cholesterol, alongside your overall heart risk. If your HDL is low and your triglycerides are high, the same plan helps both: move more, cut added sugar and refined carbs, lose weight around your middle if you need to, and stop smoking. If you want an app to see all four numbers together, compare the best cholesterol tracking apps.
See whether your HDL is moving
Heart Tracker pulls in workouts from Apple Health and Apple Watch, logs your meals, and charts HDL, LDL and triglycerides between tests, so you can see how a few months of exercise shows up in your results. Free, with no account needed.
Download Heart Tracker FreeRaising HDL: quick answers
Does exercise raise HDL cholesterol?
Yes, a little. A meta-analysis of 148 trials cited in the 2026 ACC/AHA guideline found exercise training raised HDL by about 2.1 mg/dL (0.05 mmol/L), while also lowering LDL and triglycerides. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week plus strength exercise on 2 days.
What is a good HDL level?
In US terms, HDL under 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L) for men or under 50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L) for women is low. The NHS describes healthy HDL as above 1.0 mmol/L for men and above 1.2 mmol/L for women.
What foods raise HDL?
No single food reliably raises HDL. What helps is the overall pattern: replacing trans fats, added sugar and refined carbohydrates with unsaturated fats from olive or rapeseed oil, nuts, seeds and oily fish, alongside exercise and weight loss if you need it.
Can HDL be too high?
Possibly. In large Danish studies, men with HDL of 3.0 mmol/L (about 116 mg/dL) or more and women with 3.5 mmol/L (about 135 mg/dL) or more had higher death rates. These levels are rare, and a high HDL doesn't offset a high LDL.
Should I take niacin or supplements to raise HDL?
No, unless a specialist advises it. The 2026 ACC/AHA guideline doesn't recommend niacin for routine use because it hasn't been shown to prevent heart attacks or strokes when added to a statin, and it recommends against supplements for lowering LDL or triglycerides.
Is low HDL a problem if my LDL is normal?
Low HDL is linked with higher heart risk and often comes with high triglycerides or insulin resistance, so it's worth discussing with your doctor. Treatment decisions are based mainly on LDL, non-HDL cholesterol and your overall risk rather than HDL alone.
Sources
- 2026 ACC/AHA/multisociety Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. March 2026.
- MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine): HDL, the "good" cholesterol
- NHS: How to lower your cholesterol (reviewed March 2026)
- Dattilo AM, Kris-Etherton PM. Effects of weight reduction on blood lipids and lipoproteins: a meta-analysis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1992;56:320–328.
- Madsen CM, Varbo A, Nordestgaard BG. Extreme high high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is paradoxically associated with high mortality in men and women: two prospective cohort studies. European Heart Journal. 2017;38:2478–2486.
- American Heart Association: Trans fats